Vera Zvonareva defeats Ksenia Pervak to clinch title win – Baku Cup 2011
On Sunday the 24th of July, 2011 the two Russian compatriots competing for the final match were Vera Zvonareva and Ksenia Pervak. The world number three (Vera) won the match in straight two sets 6-1,6-4 at the Baku Tennis
Academy, Baku, Azerbaijan.
This was not the first time both the players were contesting against each other; the last they met was in 2010 at the Pattaya Open, Pattaya City, Thailand. Vera Zvonareva had won the last match they played and was leading in their
head to head 1-0. The Higher Power had granted yet another chance to Ksenia to restore her replenished dignity.
Vera Zvonareva won the toss and with great enthusiasm and confidence served first; smashing an ace and with immaculate precession struck no double faults. Although she had average first serve percentage opening the set, her return
serve was exceptional like a trampoline she bounced back everything that came her way and achieved a commendable sixty two percent in her total return points.
Additionally, her defence was also as strong as an ox and she gave zero break point opportunities to her opponent along with capitalizing sixty percent of her opponent’s break points. Due to Vera’s consistency, technique and skill
she was able to win the set with almost twice as many points as her opponents. On the contrary, Ksenia struck three double faults and had no consistency in her serve and return serve; hence she was only able to win one game point from Vera.
After taking a beating in the first set, Ksenia should have gotten back into the game and tried to equalize the set score, however that was just a dream. Although, Ksenia had performed relatively better in the second set, she was
still unable to defeat Vera. Ksenia served first with nervousness and although she did not smash an ace she also didn’t strike any double faults. However, she gave four break point chances to her opponent and was only able to win two.
It was a close match between both the players but Vera gained an upper hand by converting three out of the four break point chances she received and by keeping a consistent serve and return serve won the final deciding set of the
match.
Despite the age factor, the 26-year-old (Vera) won the match with twenty more total match points that Ksenia. Due to her near perfect agility, defence and her experience of the game she won in straight two sets along with a 2-0
lead in the head to head.
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